Serendipity is a wonderful thing and it seems to flow through MOG like the River Jordan so beloved of Rasta singers. First jenny points at music blogs we should know about. That leads me to a man of impeccable taste toasting the enduring greatness of one of the best reggae groups of the mid-70s: The Congos. To say a group is among the best from that period is really saying something, because wonderful, fabulous groups were thick on the ground in the 70s.Hearing their sweet melodies and riddims some 30 years later, I just had to put up a track for y'all. Then, just now, as I'm delaying the work to do it, I'm reading Dave Allen's "post":http://mog.com/Dave_Allen/blog_post/147301 on Lee Perry and he namechecks The Congos as one of Perry's best productions.It must be the vibes. So check it out - a great vocal duo floating atop a band that flows with riddim and the Super Ape Lee Perry at the controls. On a sunny Spring day it's a perfect mix.
Scotch says
This cat who went by the name Doktor Watson, out of the UK, used to have an internet station on Radio365, and I remember that he played them. At least that's the way I remember it... But that was the best damn Ska/Rocksteady/Reggae/Dancehall station I ever heard, and I miss it. He did send me a mix (without The Congos), and I send a thank-you vibe out to him everytime I play it.
Your post reminds me that I need to add more Blood & Fire to my collection. Thanks, Jonh!
ivylander says
Can't play this song until I get home from work, but if it's anything like "Children Crying" (also off "Heart of the Congos"), and I suspect it is, it's Lee Perry at his freaky-deakiest and most delightful...
Scotch says
ivylander, I think "Fishermen" is even better, different, but better.
As Jonh pointed out, some feel this whole album is as good as any reggae album ever produced. It's wonder, then, why it dropped out of sight for a while. But it has been re-released, thankfully. No more having to seek rare and expensive originals, or settling for crappy bootlegs.
Scotch says
ivylander, I think "Fishermen" is even better, different, but better.
As Jonh pointed out, some feel this whole album is as good as any reggae album ever produced. It's wonder, then, why it dropped out of sight for a while. But it has been re-released, thankfully. No more having to seek rare and expensive originals, or settling for crappy bootlegs.
Cody B says
I go Children/Fisherman by rank, but we're talking about the microscopic differences at a very high level.
If you are a Bloof & Fire fan you should also check out the Pressure Sounds label for quality reaggae re-issues.
Mike the Knife says
Wow. Believe it or not, this Lee Perry fanatic is hearing the Congos for the first time. I an' I is ashamed, but t'rilled. Many thanks to the Mighty Ingham!
Spike says
New to me, the Congos please I as much as they please I and I. Is their cover a pun, or can't they spell? On my only trip to Jamaica, twenty years ago, I bought a little photo book devoted to misspelled signs in Jamaica.
Scotch says
Spike - I should take pictures of all the misspelled signs I see right here in Appalachia. Or I could do an engrish.com website for middle 'Merica.
Cody - I checked out your post. That's GOLD, baby. And I'm giving Pressure Sounds' catalog a serious look, because there's some good stuff in there. Have you seen Soul Jazz Records' "Dynamite" compilations? Truth in advertising, there.
Hermes says
Really nice vibe here, though I'm not the biggest Reggea fan. Cody, thanks for the link to the 101. I'll check that out later, maybe I just didn't listen to the right tracks until now.
Baudolino says
They only really made one great LP, but it's one that still stands proud thirty and more years on.
They were not, and do not deserve to be, spoken of in the same breath as the Heptones, the Techniques or even the Melodians, but none of these ever put together ten tracks of the same power as those on "Heart of the Congos"
fastnbulbous says
Actually their 1979 album, Congo Ashanti is pretty great too. Not a classic like their first, but holds up well against anything by the Heptones, Techniques, etc. Blood & Fire reissued that one too.
Heart Of The Congo is definitely one of my all-time favorites. For many years it was nearly impossible to find. Due to Lee Perry having a falling out with Chris Blackwell and Island, the album was given an extremely limited release of about 500 copies. I first heard it in 1996 when Blood & Fire rescued it with a lovingly remastered and repackaged version, complete with bonus tracks. There's a newer reissue available now, but this is the one to get. It's simply the most intensely spiritual, hypnotic music Perry ever laid down on tape.
Baudolino says
Congo Ashanti is OK, but not in the same league as HOTC.
You're not quite right about the history though. Lee Perry offered it to Island, but withdrew it when they refused to give "Roast Fish and Cornbread" a UK release as follow-up to "Super Ape". There were at least two pressings on Black Art, so there were probably three or four thousand pressed. If memory serves it was given a UK release by (perhaps) Lightning Records, who just slung it out with no promo, then deleted it. It wasn't easy to find from about 1979 till the B & F release.
Probably agree that it was Perry's best ever LP
fastnbulbous says
Your version is one I've heard floating around, but it's incorrect. According to David Katz' well-researched book, People Funny Boy, Perry was livid about Island's refusal to release it.
"When asked about Island's decision not to issue Heart Of The Congos, Chris Blackwell hesitantly stated, 'I remember at the time thinking that there was one great track and the rest of it was weak.' However, he was quick to deflect claims that he venerated Bob Marley at the expense of other artists. '...I didn't push Bob above anybody else, Bob just had more going for him than anybody else; I honestly believe that is the case. I pushed Burning Spear, I pushed Toots - I love Toots, I've known Toots much longer than Bob - but I just wasn't able to get him across. Lee Perry, like most reggae artists, was embraced more by the press than by the radio; the press gives you credibility but radio is really what sells records, so Lee Perry never sold a lot of records in the same way like how Bob sold a lot of records. Songs like "Roast Fish And Cornbread," these are absolute masterpieces, but we weren't able to make them hit singles at the time.'"
The initial pressing on Perry's Black Ark was indeed only a run of 500. It was later repressed on at least five labels in four nations, but still pretty limited runs until the Blood and Fire release, which is the definitive version because of the lovely remastering job, and the inclusion of scarce alternative mixes. Label head Steve Barrow called it the defining statement of Jamaican vocal group aristry in the 70's along with Natty Dread, Marcus Garvey and The Right Time. Truly the roots reggae philospher's stone.
Jonh Ingham says
f'n'b - thanks for that insight. I worked with Blackwell and Island through this period and can confirm his commitment to a wide number of artists, including Perry. Several times he mentioned that he would love to figure out how to put Perry on stage with a mixing desk, because he was so physical when he was at the controls.
fastnbulbous says
Nice! Funny, here we are quoting hearsay and secondary sources on a page of an eyewitness! Do you recall any info about Justin HInds & The Dominoes' 1976 Island release, Jezebel? That's another all-time favorite, yet Island chose not to promote it. Those songs were totally catchy and radio-friendly. It's still hard to find, available only on a Japanese import right now. Everyone should hear it, a prime example of dark lyrics but totally uplifting music.
Jonh Ingham says
Well that was after my time at the company. But there were a number of these records that didn't get big promotion. Like many smaller labels, Island had more records than they could properly promote, so when the press or radio (mostly John Peel because reggae was reaaallly underground music) picked up on Max Romeo (War Ina Babylon) and Junior Murvin and 'Super Ape', the promo guys ran with those.
fastnbulbous says
It's hard to complain, as both War Ina Babylon and Super Ape are also big favorites of mine. Hip-O Select reissued them both with nice bonus tracks too. They were limited editions of 2500 in 2004, and surprisingly both are still available. It would be awesome if they gave the same treatment to Jezebel and Rico, Man From Wareika.
Serendipity is a wonderful thing and it seems to flow through MOG like the River Jordan so beloved of Rasta singers. First jenny points at music blogs we should know about. That leads me to a man of impeccable taste toasting the enduring greatness of one of the best reggae groups of the mid-70s: The Congos. To say a group is among the best from that period is really saying something, because wonderful, fabulous groups were thick on the ground in the 70s.Hearing their sweet melodies and riddims some 30 years later, I just had to put up a track for y'all. Then, just now, as I'm delaying the work to do it, I'm reading Dave Allen's "post":http://mog.com/Dave_Allen/blog_post/147301 on Lee Perry and he namechecks The Congos as one of Perry's best productions.It must be the vibes. So check it out - a great vocal duo floating atop a band that flows with riddim and the Super Ape Lee Perry at the controls. On a sunny Spring day it's a perfect mix.
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